Eggbert, the Slightly Cracked Egg

by Tom Ross

Overview

Cast out of the refrigerator because of a small crack, Eggbert sets out into the world, using his talent for painting to try to blend in. Eventually he realizes that cracks are everywhere and reminds us all that our flaws are perfectly natural.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698114449
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/27/1997
Series:	Paperstar
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	426,466
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tom Ross was inspired to write this story by his wife's real-life bowling ball, named Irma. He and his wife live in a funky adobe in New Mexico, along with their son and a friendly mutt, Mookie.copyright &py; 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

Editorial Reviews

Vibrant illustrations of life-size eggs and other household items generate excitement in this soft-boiled story. Eggbert, an egg who wears a red beret and carries a palette and brush, enjoys painterly success in the fridge until his egg compatriots discover a crack in his shell. Banished, Eggbert tentatively makes his way through the kitchen, the windowsill and the garden. There's a lag midway as Eggbert camouflages himself in various outdoor scenes, hoping to paint himself into the landscape. Momentum picks up when he accepts his imperfection and travels around the world to see ``famous cracked sights''--a canyon, an island volcano, the Liberty Bell. Ross, creator of the It Zwibble series, doesn't trouble the reader with mundane considerations, namely, that an egg would go from cracked to rotten in short order. Instead, he sustains the fantasy and establishes a point--that a great artist might in fact need to be ``slightly cracked.'' Barron, in his picture book debut, fills every page with warm, undiluted hues and realistic backgrounds. But the eggs are his least credible, most cartoonish creations, largely due to his decision to attach spindly, flesh-tone arms and legs to the solid white torsos. Mischievously touted as a ``Grade A book,'' this rates a Grade B-plus. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-The other eggs in the refrigerator admire Eggbert's remarkable paintings-until they discover that he has a slight crack. Because of his defect, he is banished from his home. At first he uses his artistic talent to attempt to camouflage himself, but his disguises are quickly discovered. Then he realizes that the world contains many lovely cracks. Brush in hand, he travels the globe and produces wonderful paintings of fissures found in things such as volcanoes and the Liberty Bell. Back at the refrigerator, his former friends ponder his hand-painted postcards with amazement and a touch of sadness. The story might be read as a commentary on the lives of artists and/or the dangers and blessings of nonconformity; however, young readers will be more engaged by the illustrations than by philosophical reflections. Eggs and vegetables rarely assume such lifelike expressions and stances, and the simple text and clear design add up to read-aloud potential. Eggbert is an egg worth watching.-Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN

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